Internet users, beware

EDITORIAL

June 08, 2012

Perhaps it's the third son of the president of Liberia who needs your help transferring untold millions of dollars into U.S. bank accounts.

Maybe it's a supposed U.S. soldier who uncovered a secret stash of cash or precious metals in one of Saddam Hussein's palaces in Iraq and needs a willing aide in the U.S. to help get the loot back on U.S. soil.

Or it could be something as real-sounding as a notice from the U.S. Postal Service or your own bank.

All of them have one thing in common: They are Internet scams, and they're becoming more and more prevalent on the Web. Annoying to be sure, but the scams are also potentially financially dangerous for anyone who makes a simple mistaken ''click'' of their keyboard mouse.

Cybersecurity officials recently testified before a House Financial Services panel, updating lawmakers on new brazen and more elaborate schemes to steal unsuspecting Internet users of their personal financial information.

Advertisement

It's nothing new, of course, since Internet scams have been around as long as the Internet itself. But it's always good to see another reminder that if something appears to be too good to be true, or if that ''friend'' request from someone you don't know looks suspicious, the ''delete'' button is always a good solution.